Super-size snowflakes light up New York

Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley (1865-1931)--the first person to photograph a single snowflake and make the discovery that no two are alike--is the inspiration behind a dramatic Christmas display in New York City. To mark the winter season, 50 larger-than-life snowflakes lit by LEDs will appear on the landmark Saks Fifth Avenue facade. The snowflakes will range from 8-20 feet in diameter. Set to "Carol of the Bells," the daily snowflake show will occur every 30 minutes (lasting 90 seconds) throughout the evening hours.

The snowflakes, illuminated by 72,000 Philips Electronics' light-emitting diodes (LEDs), feature more than 24,000 linear feet of lighting tied to 8,000 linear feet of steel. Put end-to-end, the amount of LEDs used to light the snowflakes would stretch nearly from one tip of Manhattan to the other.

LEDs are solid-state light emitters that are daisy-chained into an electrical circuit. Unlike conventional incandescent bulbs, they create virtually no heat, have an expected usable lifetime of 10 years, are weatherproof, and consume approximately one watt per linear foot, or less than one-third of the wattage of a standard light. LEDs on the snowflakes only need spot replacements due to damage from removal and remounting each season, unlike conventional incandescent bulbs which require complete annual replacement.

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